Door-latch.



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APPLICATION FILED DEC: L 1915- 1,210,826. Patented Jan. 2,1917.

. I e 11 J0 Ff a WILLIAM S. MINOBQOF NORTHVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB OF'ONE-HALF TO JOHN R. WALBATH, OF'NORTHVILLE, NEW YORK.

DOOR-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. MINOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Northville, in the county of Fulton and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in latch devices of the character applied upon doors of freight cars, and has for one of its objects to improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be employed as an ordinary latch and which will be provided with means operable to lock the latch in position to prevent the rattling and displacement thereof under the motion of the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device which may, without detaching any of the parts, be readily disposed out of the way when not in use. I

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a door and the adjacent portion of the casing or jamb with the device applied and in operative position; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing the device in elevation; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts disconnected with the locking bolt withdrawn; Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the locking member detached; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the locking bolt.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

The improved device may be applied to either swinging or sliding doors without material structural change, but is more particularly applicable to the sliding doors of freight cars and like structures. For the purpose of illustration the device is shown thus applied with a portion of the door represented at lO and the adjacent portion of thejamb or casing represented at 11, these parts being of the usual construction. In carrying out the invention I employ a stock or bolt 12 having at the forward extremity thereofabarbed terminal 13 and provided adjacent its rear extremity with a longitudinal slot 1%, the latter having an upturned and forwardly curved terminal 15, whereby a stop shoulder 16 is produced. Projecting from the door 10 is a stud 17 having a laterally enlarged head 18. The stud extends through the slot 14 with the head 18 confronting the bolt upon opposite sides of the said slot to slidably connect the bolt to the door. A keeper or guard 19 is connected to the door 10 and bears over the bolt 12 to prevent outward displacement thereof with the bolt mounted to swing vertically upon its stud 17. Another keeper 20 is connected to the jamb or casing 11 to receive the free working end or barbed terminal 13 of the bolt, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The bolt 12 is thus utilized to hold the door 10 in position relative to the jamb 11, while at the same time the said bolt may be released by simply swinging it upwardly upon its pivot 17. When the bolt is thus released it may be shifted to occupy a position disposed entirely within the lines of the door by simply releasing the stud 17 from the upwardly directed terminal 16 of the slot 1% and then moving the bolt inwardly until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 3, it being observed that the keeper 19 is disposed a sufficient distance from the outer edge of the door to permit this movement of the bolt. When so arranged the bolt 12 will not project into the door opening tobe broken loose by passing objects.

In the operative position'of the bolt, as shown in Fig. 1, the shoulder 16 projects for a distance beneath the stud 17 and thus acts as a stop to prevent the upward-displacement of thebolt. At the same time the bolt can be readily detached if moved forwardly for a short distance and then upwardly as will be obvious. Projecting from the bolt 12 is a stop lug 21 preferably provided with an aperture and arranged with its upper face inclined to the longitudinal aXis of the bolt. Pivoted at 22 to the jamb or casing 11 is a locking member comprising a stock or body 23 having an outturned terminal lug 24. inclined transversely of the longitudinal axis of the said stock to correspond to and closely engage the inclined face of the lug 21 in the operative position of the bolt 12 for firmly locking the bolt in position and preventing all rattling or looseness. The locking member will thus automatically operate to retain the bolt in position and will likewise automatically take up any wear or looseness which may occur. A stop pin 25 projects from the jamb or casing 11 in the path of the locking member for limiting the said member in its movement to engage thelug 21 while the said locking member is free for movement in the opposite direction to release the said lug so that the bolt 12 may be disengaged from the keeper 20. The lug 24 is perforated, so that when the member 23 is disposed in its closed position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a lock or seal may be applied thereto. Attention is now directed to the fact that when the bolt 12 is engaged with the keeper 20, the stud 17 will swingingly support the said bolt so that the outer free end thereof may be moved upon the stud to disengage the'keeper. However, the locking member when engaged with the lug 21 of the bolt will prevent the upward movement of the free end of the said bolt to disengage the keeper and will cooperate with the keeper to prevent the shifting of the inner end of the bolt to disengage the stud 17 from within the terminal 15 of the slot 14. Consequently, the locking member, when engaged with the outer end of the bolt for holding the said bolt in engagement with the keeper will also simultaneously act to lock the inner end of the bolt in engagement with the stud 17 so that the said bolt can not be either swingingly or longitudinally shifted to inactive position. It will be observed that this result is attained by providing the lug 21 upon the bolt 12 which lug is flatly engaged by the lug 24: of the locking member so that the bolt cannot pivot between the locking member and the keeper 20 to permit the inner end of the bolt to be movedupwardly to disengage the stud 17 from within the terminal of the slot 14. It is further to be observed that by this arrangement, it is necessary to provide but a single locking member for holding the bolt both as against pivotal and'longitudinal shifting movement and this locking member also provides means whereby the latch may be sealed. Also it will be noted that the bolt is not dependent upon the locking member for holding the said bolt to engage with the stud l7 sincethe terminal 15 of the slot 14 is so arranged that the bolt will normally move to engage the stud within the said terminal for maintaining the bolt in active relation to the keeper.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A device of the character described including a bolt, a retainer therefor, means for supporting the bolt, the bolt being projectabl'e to engage the retainer with the bolt engaging the said means for holding the bolt against retraction and with the bolt freely supported by the said means to disengage the retainer, and locking means cooperating with the retainer to engage the bolt for holding the said bolt in engagement with the retainer and against shifting movement to disengage with the said first mentioned means.

2. A device of the character described including a bolt, a retainer therefor, means for supporting the bolt, the bolt being projectable to engage the retainer with the bolt gravitating to engage with the said means for holding the bolt against retraction and with the bolt supported by the said-means for movement to disengage the retainer, and locking means engaging the bolt for holding the said bolt in engagement with the retainer with the said locking means cooperating with the retainer to hold the bolt against shifting movement to disengage with the said first mentioned means.

3. A device'of the character described including a bolt provided with a slot having an upwardly directed terminal, a retainer for the bolt, a pin supporting the bolt and engaging in the said slot, the bolt being projectable to engage the'retainer with the bolt gravitating to engage the pin in the upwardly directed terminal of said slot for holding the bolt against retraction and with the bolt supported by the said pin to disengage the retainer, and locking means co operating with the retainer and engaging the bolt for holding the said bolt in engagement with the retainer and against movement to disengage the pinfrom within the said terminal of the said slot. 1 V

In testimony whereof, I fl-ffiX my signature.

WILLIAM s. MINOR. 1.5.

Copies of this patent may be-obtained for .five cents each, .by addressing the Commissioner oflatents.

- Washington, I). 0.. e a 

